East Bengal FC: A team that kept slipping along a downward spiral

THERE WAS A LOT TO PROVE IN THE TOP league of India for a club that has been in existence for over a century. East Bengal's impressive start of the season really built up high expectations for the club faithful.

Little did anyone know that the same expectations would eventually turn evil for the club as the season progressed. The story of East Bengal FC this season was that of a movie that was set to be a blockbuster seeing the first half but ended in a bitter second half after the interval.

Trevor Morgan was in charge of the team in his second period with the club. The club had done well under him in his previous leadership, the Federation Cup, Calcutta Football League and the IFA Shield. It was the coveted I-League that eluded the club under him the last time around. With a great start and keeping abreast of cross-town rivals Mohun Bagan, Morgan seemed to have taken the team in the right direction.

There were a few foreign signings that did not work out and Christopher Payne was brought in as the replacement striker. Plaza, Wedson and Payne formed the frontline that was expected to get the goals. The foreigners contributed the most in the number of goals. Payne would not get too many games owing to reasons of his fitness and impact he got to the team.

The second half of the season for East Bengal was a disaster. They lost 5 of their 9 games; a very poor run ruining all the efforts they had put in the first half of the season. The season was lost not on the pitch but off it. There was a negative vibe among the fans and it was mostly going to do about team selections. The fans thought that was the reason behind the recent losses. But the fanatics took their agitation in confrontation with the players, coach and management. This caused a lot of impact on their on-field performances.

The inevitable happened, East Bengal lost grip on the title. The coach had parted ways with the club. Hopes of a silverware came tumbling down with the series of internal events.

The Federation Cup glory would be a moment of salvaging pride. An interim Coach Mridul Banerjee was appointed to guide the team that was shaken by all the controversies. Nothing seemed to be going right for the Red and Gold as Mridul was injured in his very first week of appointment. Ranjan Choudhury was roped in to replace Mridul.

East Bengal were drawn with league champions Aizawl FC, Churchill Brothers SC and Chennai City FC. The Kolkata club finished runners up of Group A and played winner of Group B, Mohun Bagan in the semi-final. That match was one sided and the loss city rivals handed them a bitter defeat. It was a sorry ending to a dream that looked very much a possibility for a good part of the season.

There were many reasons for the slack end to the season. The management blamed the team's lack of desire. The fans pointed fingers on the team selection. The coach lamented the initial squad selection. There was a certain lack of cohesive understanding between the management and the coach. That is what probably can be arrived as one of the impacting factors for the entangling of expectations resulting in the performance going downhill after the halfway mark.

Get the latest in the world of Sports, Teams, and Players! Free Delivery to your Inbox.